Colliding Worlds
by pony832987
Summary: "I won't run. I won't fight. Take me instead," she said not looking away from his eyes. She'd never felt so scared before, or more sure of her words. He leaned closer, she felt every inch of his body against hers, his breath on her neck. "There is no going back now," he whispered.
1. Chapter 1

**Note - **Few things, first I am dyslexic so spelling and grammar are not my strength. Second I am a full time college student and will soon pick up my horseback ridding training full time again so I will not have all the time in the world to update; however I will try to work on the story a little every day and update as much as I can (reviews and nagging me will help a bit). And third this is technically my first story I have posted on this site so please keep that in mind. Also one more thing this is very different from most of the DracoxOc stories I have read so be aware of that. Rated M just in case I decide to go there.

Alright off you go, read away.

* * *

"_Thank you, Dan. Now for a quick look at tomorrows events…"_

The TV rambled on as she washed the dishes left over from dinner. The cold chain linked from the leather strap around her neck to its twin on her arm clinked against her right arm as she worked quietly and quickly. It no longer bothered her anymore. After twenty years of wearing it she barely noticed the constant reminder of her slavery. Strands of her long ebony hair fell away from her braid, tickling her neck and face, but were given no notice. Her goal was to have the kitchen cleaned up before the children had finished getting ready for the night. Normally she didn't worry if her normal chores were done before the children were ready for bed, but then again tonight wasn't a normal night.

"_...And now it is that time for last minute preparations for this years Purge. Thank you everyone for watching and be safe…"_

_The Purge, what a sick name,_ she thought as she began drying the freshly cleaned dishes.

The Purge, a night where all crime was overlooked and forgot for twelve hours. The one night where the magic world and the human world collided. Almost a hundred years ago a large group of dark wizards led by an even darker wizard in comparison, Voldemort he was called, decided they should not have to hide their magic from non magical humans, or muggles as the wizards called them, and attacked the non magical humans. If it had not been for the good wizards of the world muggles would have been enslaved. Though the muggles were safe the sudden knowledge of magic sent fear and panic throughout the world. Governments forgot their differences to come together in search of a solution. The result was a Purge on the anniversary of the attack on the muggle kind, a night where the two worlds collided and anything could happen.

The rest of the year the two worlds lived separately like they had been for centuries. Though there were those who wanted their own witches and wizards. The attack brought dark ideas to the muggles, ideas that led them to enslave entire bloodlines that had any hint of magic in them in hopes of breeding their own witches and wizards. The purer the bloodlines the better. Slaves were worth more as virgins than non virgins until they were bred, bred like dogs. When slaves were sold or bought they were required to tell the truth about any sexual encounters their masters put them in, if they were to lie they were severely punished.

"Onni? Will mommy and daddy be home in time for the Purge?"

The slave turned around to see the youngest of the three children she looked after staring back at her with her favorite stuffed animal, a rabbit the little girl had named Long Ears. The slave smiled warmly at the little girl as she put down the plate she had been washing to skoope the girl in her arms gently.

"No dayden, but I will keep you safe," she cooed in the girls ears, softly swaying from side to side.

"I'm not Dayden, I'm Maddy." the little girl said defiantly.

Onni laughed. Maddy had been the third child she raised since being sold to this family. She had called all of them dayden, it had been what her mother called her, but only Maddy had objected. Ashlyn and Elizabeth had questioned its meaning and where it came from but neither we bothered by it. Onni doubted Ashlyn, even at the age of 10, would say anything either way, she was the quiet one, content with watching people and their reactions with the things around them. Elizabeth was more flaky of the three always unsure who she was and where she was going in life, but she was the oldest at 16, uncertainty was normal at that stage in her life. But not Maddy, Maddy was confident and self assured. This was rare for a 4 year old but Onni found it refreshing.

"Dayden in my language means 'little one'" the slave explained.

The girl thought about it for a moment, thinking hard about the new information. "But you speak my language. You speak English," the girl finally declared.

Onni giggle again, "yes I speak English. Are you already for bed?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Did you go potty?"

"No."

The slave quickly glanced at the clock behind her, 7:45 pm. The Purge starts at 8.

"Go ahead then, and tell your sisters to do the same," the slave said setting the girl back down on her feet.

The child nodded and ran off to the stairs. Onni abandoned hope of finishing the dishes and set the alarm for the house. Within seconds of typing in the code steel walls slid down over the doors and windows of the house, locking everyone inside until morning. With the last beep of the alarm, signaling that it was done, Onni sighed. She prayed silently that no magic people attacked the house. The security did well against non magical people, the steel walls over the doors and windows prevented anyone getting in and the metal walls hiding between the outside and inside walls prevented a fire burning through to the inside, but it did nothing against the magical people that were let loose on the Purge. Onni never had any up close and personal encounters or had seen any magic up close enough to have any knowledge of it other than what she was told, but she knew if they wanted they could break through the steel walls with a flick of the wrist. Naturally there were good witches and wizards that came into the muggle world a week before the Purge selling their time to cast spells of protection of the slave. house. Normally the masters that Onni served hired a witch or wizard to cast spells over the house but decided against that this year.

The slave suspected the reason was that they could care less about them. She didn't expect them to care about her, she was a slave, her life meant nothing to them. But at the very least she expected them to care about their own children. She knew she shouldn't be surprised that they would cower away with their friends and abandoned their own flesh and blood. After all they never spent more than a few hours with them. That was the whole reason they bought Onni, to raise the kids for them. Not that the slave minded much, she loved those kids as if they were her own. With or without a protection spell the slave would happily lay her life on the line if it meant protecting those children.

"May the gods of the old land watch over and protect these children," the slave whispered to herself.

The prayer sent images of her mother down her like drowning in cold water. It was something her mother said every Purge night as she burned sage over Onni and her sister. It was a simple prayer, you spoke the words as you burn sage over those you wanted to protect. It referred to the gods and spirits the Native Americans believed in; however because the whole Native American culture was enslaved they could not practice their rituals the same way thus settling for simpler prayers and rituals. Onni's mother rarely said any prayers or performed rituals, she only used them to protect her children. At the time Onni never understood why her mother worried so much for their protection and safety but she was only a child. It wasn't until she was sold did she understand the evil that her mother talked about and protected her from.

The slave remembered her mother talking about the evil spirits, like they were real people. Her mother spoke of a man that lived in the shadows, away from light, always watching, looking for a weak spot to take advantage of. He was described to have almost white blond hair, pale skin, and gray eyes from rarely being in the light. Her mother warned her not to listen to him, he seem kind at times but it is only a mask to temporarily hide his bad temper and anger. Onni often asked if the trickster was a real person only to have her mother never really give her an answer. As a child she imaged that he was real and the thought haunted her dreams. It wasn't until she was sold to her masters now that she learned what her mother meant. The evil her mother spoke of wasn't hidden in a single person but in everyone just waiting to show itself. Now she saw the evil trickster as a scary bedtime story she would tell to keep her children in line.

"Onni, why aren't our parents here?" It was Ashlyn this time when the slave turned to face the voice. Sweet, little, doe eyed Ashlyn wondering why her parents werent here to protect her. The question stunned the slave, no child should have to ask that. "They don't care about us do they?" She asked the slave after a moment of silence.

The slave's heart broke for the child. "No, no Dayden, they-"

"It's ok Onni, you love us and you care about us. You'll keep us safe," Ashlyn said interrupting.

Without another word the girl sat patiently at the table, waiting for her sisters. The slave sighed knowing there was nothing she could do to comfort the girl. She returned to preparing for the night. She went about the house turning off lights and anything with light or sound. By the time the slave returned to the kitchen all three girls were sitting at the table, quietly awaiting for the night to begin. The slave checked the clock one more time, 8:00p.m. exactly. Right on cue the sirens went off signaling the start of the Purge. As fast as she could, the slave climbed on top of the table, grabbed the broom, that she had placed on the table earlier that night, and stuck it up into the large round hole that sat in the ceiling above the table. After a minute of angling the broom just so, she was able to knock down the rope ladder that was hidden just inside.

The hole looked like a plain hole in the ceiling, it was decorated of course and in-ceiling lights were placed around the hole to make it look like it belonged there, and it did. No one would know that it was a hiding place for the family during the Purge, unless otherwise told so. The opening was five feet in diameter and just inside was an additional eight feet of flooring from the edge of the hole to the wall. It created a doughnut like shaped loft once inside, the hole being the middle of the doughnut. It was enough to fit five single person beds, enough for everyone but the slave, pushed against the walls and two shelves, which held books and toys for the children as well as some necessary things for the night. Things like flashlights, batteries, medicine, first aid kit, candles, matches, and a few others.

"Up you go children," the slave said as she grabbed the bottom of the rope to steady it.

First Ashlyn followed by Maddy with Elizabeth close behind her. After a short moment all three girls were safely hidden in the loft. The slave wordlessly handed he broom up to Elizabeth before jumping off the table to turn off the lights in the room. Even in the dark the slave knew her way around the room and to the ladder. This was the routine every year. She held the bottom of the ladder to steady it as the rest of the family ascended to safety leaving her to shut off the last of the lights and climb the ladder in the dark.

Once she was inside she saw that Elizabeth had already set about to lighting the three small candles they lit to see by. The candles gave enough light to see by but not draw attention to the hole above the table. They had no smell and sat in a jar so that if someone managed to get inside the house the candles could be extinguished by placing the lid on top of the jar and trapping the smoke inside.

"Thank you Elizabeth," the slave commented.

"I got tired of waiting for you, Mady wouldn't let go of me," she said sounding annoyed. "Don't expect me to do your work for you all the time," she added coldly.

Over the years Elizabeth had taken on more and more of her mother's bad temper towards her and her siblings. It had broken the slaves heart to see that darkness grow in her. Onni had raised and cared for Elizabeth since the girl was six years old, she was sweet and loving as a child. For the slave to see the short brief time with her mother take hold over the girl was painful. Their mother hardly spent any time with any of her children. This gave the slave hope that her influence on the children would cause them to be better than their parents, but now looking at Elizabeth she knew that she failed the girl. She still tried to show the girl a better way of seeing the world but knew it was hopeless and prayed that her sisters wouldn't take after their mother.

The slave nodded to Elizabeth and went to gather up the rope ladder. Once she had finished she went about making sure that the beds were made and ready for the girls to sleep in. She had just washed and cleaned them the day before but felt the need to double check them anyway. Something inside her began to feel like something was wrong. She wasn't sure what or why, just that something was off about the whole night. Maybe it was just that her owners weren't home, or maybe she was just being paranoid, she couldn't decide. The feeling grew in her as the minutes went on making her more anxious. She tried to keep herself busy but there wasn't much that could be done. Being the good slave her mother taught her to be, she had already cleaned the little hiding place the day before. She checked and re-checked the beds, straightened the bookshelves, checked the supplies several times, and even re-braided her hair three times before completely running out of things to keep her busy.

Elizabeth had settled on the floor reading a book with a flashlight and Mady had busied herself with playing with Ashlyns hair as Ashlyn played with a few dolls. None of them made any unnecessary noises and kept very quiet. Things were going perfectly. Nothing was out of place, the children were quiet and behaving, and the room below them was completely dark. Onni couldn't have asked for a better night so far, why couldn't she relax? They feeling grew a little more as she looked at around the little loft looking for anything out of place. With a heavy sigh, the slave gave up and decided she was only anxious because of the lack of her owners. The slave further decided to sit in her usual place between Mady's and Ashlyn's bed. She sat in her spot for a long time, silently, watching the children. The slave rather liked moments like these. She liked to sit back and watch them interact with each other and just be themselves. It was one of the few times Onni didn't mind being a slave. It was in those moments she saw pure beauty and happiness in things.

"Onni, the candle is out," Elizabeth said as she moved to the bed.

Wordlessly, the slave got up from her position and re-lit the candle. She noticed the feeling inside her had only gotten worse. The slave sighed again trying to calm herself before looking at the battery powered clock on top of one of the shelves, 10:29 p.m.. It was very past the time the children went to bed. "Time for bed girls," she said just loud enough for all three children to hear her. Elizabeth pouted a bit, like she always did on the Purge night, but put her book away quietly as her sisters put away their things and climb into bed. The girl hated having to go to bed at the same time as her younger siblings but stopped fighting it. She only had to deal with it on the Purge night but never disliked it any less.

The slave tucked the youngest two girls into their beds and blew out two of the candles before returning to her spot. She hummed for a bit until she was sure they were all fast asleep. Once again the slave noticed the feeling in her had gotten even worse. She sat silently trying to find any idea as to why she felt that way. She noticed her stomach growling as she thought. In attempt to calm it she laid her hand on her stomach hoping the heat from her hand would do the trick. It was then she remembered what her masters had said to her before they left.

"_...You are to be bread when we come back…"_

Onni heard their voices so clearly in her head. It was a statement that had sent pure fear into her. Onni didn't want to be bread. She had hoped they wouldn't choose to do that. It was rare for a slave to never bear children but it did happen. The slave had prayed almost every night that she would be one of those slaves. Not only was she scared of the process, she had heard rumors of it being a brutal and barbaric process, but she couldn't imagine bringing a child into the world and damning it to a life of slavery. Images of being sold came flooding back to her. The slave shuddered at the memory and was all too accept that to be the reason behind the bad feeling in her; however it didn't help.

The slave did her best to forget the nightmare that was approaching and tried ignoring the feeling in the pit of her stomach in favor of sleep. She curled up in her spot on the floor and prayed for sleep to come to her. It was too much though, all of it. Knowing that she would be forced to bring an innocent child into her circle of hell, that she was still a slave, that she was the property of someone other than herself, it was all too much. The leather strap on her arm and neck suddenly felt too tight. She tried in vain to loosen it but without the key it was useless.

_Useless. What a good word for it,_ she thought to herself. _Useless just like my life._

For the first time in the slaves life she felt utterly and completely useless. Not only just useless but worthless. Through all the years of verbal and mental abuse handed to her by the people that owned her she never felt like she was worthless. Never felt like she was anything less than them. But now she did, and it was awful. It took everything in her to keep quiet, to keep from screaming. After a few deep breaths she managed to calm herself; however she suddenly felt the feeling in her stomach grow even worse, like it was about to swallow her. She sat up giving up on sleeping.

Something was wrong. What could it possibly be? Was it because her masters weren't home and she was worried something would go wrong? Or was it from her fear of what would happen when they did return? And there was now the possibility that it was because she felt useless and worthless? Her mind kept flashing images of the girls. With every image she felt more and more protective of them, like they were in danger. With a soft grunt she pulled out her braided hair and re-braided it again. This was too much to feel all at once for the slave. All the anxiety and need to protect the girls, something was very wrong.

"Onni?"

It was little Mady to bring the slave back to reality.

"Yes, Dayden?" the slave asked trying to sound as if nothing was wrong. Onni was a bit upset with herself that she hadn't even noticed when Mady climbed out of bed to stand in front of her.

"I had a bad dream," the girl said. She clutched Long Ears tightly to her in an attempt to feel safer.

"It's alright my child," the slave said affectionately, "I am right here." The slave pulled the little girl to her lap and rocked her gently. "Would you like me to sit in bed with you until you fall asleep?"

The girl nodded and climbed out of the slaves lap. She took a step away from the slave and tripped, falling flat on her face. The girl looked up in time to see her toy fly out of her hands and down the open hole. "Long Ears!" The girl screamed waking the other two girls. Without a second thought Onni grabbed Mady's leg and dragged the girl to her lap before she had the chance to go after the stuffed rabbit. The girl began to cry and try to crawl out of the slaves lap, intent on rescuing her toy.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Elizabeth asked as she sat up in her bed.

"Watch your mouth," snapped the slave. The slave put her focus back on the crying child in her lap, "Mady, its ok, we will get Long Ears in the morning," The slave said trying to quiet the girl.

"No! He's in trouble! We gotta get him before the bad men do," she screamed.

"The bad men are going to get _us _if you don't shut it," snapped Elizabeth.

"Enough both of you," the slave snapped causing both of them to silence themselves. She stood up with the girl in her arms and plopped the girl on the bed with Ashlyn. "Stay here," she said. All of this was too much for the slave to handle things in the calm state she normally did. "If you hear or see anything you and your sisters pull up the ladder and hide under the beds. Understood?" She asked the oldest girl. The girl nodded wordlessly and sat on the bed with her sisters.

"What are you going to do?" Elizabeth asked the as she watched the slave burn out the last candle and unroll the ladder over the ledge of the hole.

"I am going to get Long Ears," the slave answered as she started down the ladder.

It took her a minute before her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Onni checked the table surface first before checking the floor. It took some time but eventually Onni found the stuffed rabbit across the room just underneath the window. The slave was just about to go back to the ladder, the rabbit in hand, when she thought she heard voices outside the voices. Something in her, curiosity maybe, caused her to lean closer to the window and listen. The voices were muffled at first and that gave the slave hope that they would move on, not choosing to bother them. But instead of becoming more muffled and distant they became clearer and louder, like they were moving closer.

"...What about this one, Malfoy…" asked a deep low voice.

Onni didn't need to stay to hear the rest of the conversation. She knew they were going to attempt to get in the house. As fast as she could the slave ran for the ladder. Before she could get onto the table there was a loud blast outside the house causing everything to shake. The slave heard the girls above her scream in terror. It was obvious that slave wouldn't make it up the ladder in time. The blast was too loud to be human. With a second loud blast against the house, Onni watched in horror as the wall behind her cracked.

"Pull up the ladder," she ordered the girls.

She stood on the table just long enough to make sure they obeyed her. Another loud blast brought down the wall just as the ladder disappeared into hole. The room was instantly covered in dust and rubble, dust filled the room. It gave Onni just enough time to make a break for the stairs. It was a close call on whether or not she would make it without being seen but in her mind it was worth it either way. If she was able to go unseen they she had a chance to stay hidden the rest of the night like the girls; although if they did catch a glimpse of her they would go in search of her and not the girls. Onni knew the chances of them finding her were high whether they saw her or not but she didn't care. All she wanted was the girls stay hidden and safe.

Once the slave reached the top of the stairs she made a dash for her room on the third floor. The stairs were hidden behind a small door that squeaked loudly when opened. "The door," the whispered to herself when she reached it. Opening was sure to give away her presence to the intruders. "The door," she whispered to herself again as she opened it and run up the stairs. The intruders were bound to hear it, causing them to search out the source of the noise. To the slave that was a good thing. The more time they spent looking for her the better chance the girls had of staying hidden. After entering her room she shoved every piece of furniture in the little room against the door, not worried about being quiet. It wasn't much, a bed, dresser, and nightstand. The slave looked about the room in search of anything else she could shove against the door when it occurred to her to sit on the dresser to add weight to it.

It wasn't long before she heard several sets of foot steps open and shut doors on the second floor below her. The slave tried to steady her hammering heart and calm herself. It was then she realized she still had Long Ears in her hand. An image of a terrified little Mady filled her mind. Soon images of the three girls hiding under the beds in the loft crashed down on her. The slave began to shake knowing she wasn't there to reassure them and keep them safe. She pulled the rabbit to her chest and closed her eyes.

"May the gods of the old land watch over and protect these children," the slave whispered to herself once again.

Not a second after whispering the prayer again did Onni here the door, hiding the stairs to the third floor, squeak open. Time slowed and sped up all at the same time for the hidden slave. All the air left her lungs and her heart beat faster than it had ever done before. Yet she heard every single foot the intruder took up the stairs as if it were in slow motion. All too soon she felt the door nudge a little as the tried to open the door. Her heart stopped all together, then she heard the intruder mumble something. It was in the fraction of a second that she pieced it together. The loud blasts and the mumbling intruder, these were wizards. One of her worst fears come to life. Before the slave could react she was thrown across the room along with most of the furniture and door, that was now in pieces.


	2. Chapter 2

"What about this one, Malfoy?" Crabbe asked

We were in what the muggles called the "rich" end of town. I suppose it was nice for muggles but compared to the wizarding world it wasn't much. Crabbe pointed to a rather ugly looking three story house. It was an older house, that much was obvious, with potential to be a rather extravagant home, but it was in muggle hands. True to muggle form the house was covered in tacky flower boxes under each window, there was remnants of brick on the walls that were now replaced with siding in the ugliest yellow imaginable. Muggles didn't have much talent for things like this; however this was as good as any. Terrible talent for houses or life in general didn't really matter at this point for the muggle we needed. Whoever she may be.

"Open it up," I said. Crabbe and Goyle spelled the side wall a few times before it crumbled. With another spell to clear the dust, the lot of us walked into the kitchen. Once again true to muggle form it was covered in tacky pointless things as well as bad taste in design as well. Hogwarts didn't have this much stone and marble in one room. I hadn't fully looked at the horror of the muggle home before a loud creak came from upstairs reminding me of our job. "Crabbe, Goyle, upstairs. Zibani, this floor," I ordered. They scurried off like the good dogs they are while I leaned against the kitchen counter. There was no way I was going to go looking through the house, the less I saw the better.

It wasn't long before Zibani came back, empty handed. No real surprise there. He tended to be more reliable to get the job done but I didn't expect the muggles to be hiding on the first floor. It wasn't long before we heard a blast ring down from upstairs, a sign the boys upstairs had found a locked door. I wasn't worried about them killing a muggle, they knew to bring them all down to me alive; however I was troubled by the small scream I heard when the blast rang through the house. It sounded much too close to have come from upstairs, but it must have. Zibani wouldn't miss something like that, Crabbe and Goyle would, but Zibani was too careful for a mistake like that.

"We got one, Malfoy!" I heard Crabbe shout from the stairs.

Moments later he and Goyle came into view with a girl slumped over Goyle's shoulder like a lifeless doll. For a brief moment I thought she was dead, they certainly treated her like it, Goyle surely dropped her to the floor as if she were dead. Luckily for them she showed signs of life as she stirred. It was clear she was not native to England, her tan skin gave that away instantly. She sat on her knees, head down, hands in her lap.

_She's a slave,_ I thought to myself. _She can't be the only one here then…_

"Stand up," I ordered. She obeyed instantly, still keeping her head down of course. She was small, maybe 5'5 at most; however she was rather thin, even by my standards too thin for a slave. Her gray clothes hung loosely from her, nothing but skeleton underneath that was certain. Irritated that her black hair hid her face from me I forcefully tilted her chin up. She took in a sharp breath and tensed as I did it. Good, I liked them scared. She was rather plain, like slaves should, all except her eyes which were a brilliant shade of green. They were the only thing that stood out, but even then they didn't seem to hold much life in them.

"Are you alone?" I asked. She shook her head then returned to bowing her head down. She knew her place well. "Don't lie to me," I hissed. I was inclined to believe her but something told me she wasn't the one who screamed earlier. If I was right and she was as good a slave as I thought she would protect her masters at all costs. I needed the truth from her and I was prepared to get it at all costs. A short moment passed when a soft crack in the floorboards rang through the house, proving I was right about her. I kept my eyes trained on her looking for something that would give away their location. I watched as she looked, rather panicked I might add, at the ceiling behind me. I turned to see she was staring at a spot above the kitchen table. I began to chuckle.

"What's so funny, Malfoy?"

I turned back to the slave, backhanding her as I did so. With such little weight to her, she was sent flying to the floor with a small gasp. How dare she think she could lie to me and get away with it. The others hadn't connected the dots yet but I had. Above the kitchen table was what appeared to be an empty hole, it was barely noticeable really unless you were looking for it. It was a rather large hole in truth but people rarely looked at ceilings these days. It was a rather good spot to look for hidden muggles.

"You lied," I said to the slave. "Look at the ceiling above the table. A nice place for muggles to hide, wouldn't you say boys?" It took a moment but they caught on and began to chuckle. "How many are up there, slave?" I asked. The fear in her eyes turned to despair and pain. Slaves were meant to respect their masters and obey if they were to be considered any good, of course it was a bonus if they were loyal as well. But I've never met a slave to act like this one does. This one shows general concern for her masters. Almost as if she loves them…

"I am the only one here." She didn't look up as she spoke, she barely moved at all from the position in which she landed in.

At that I had lost what little patience I had left, with a careless flick of my wand I sent her flying to the wall behind her. To my surprise she didn't scream or make any noise at all when she hit the wall, just a soft grunt when she fell to the ground. The force had knocked the wind out of her, as well as what little strength she had to fight back. She didn't move from the position fell in, she just laid there trying to breath.

"Zibani."

I didn't need to add further instructions, he knew what I wanted. As Zibani made the move to cast a spell on the muggles hiding place, the slave girl came to life.

"No!" She screamed. Her sudden outburst had caught the attention of everyone in the room. "Please, take whatever you want, take me or...or kill me if thats what you want, just leave them alone. Please, don't hurt them. Just leave them alone. Please!" She begged. She managed to pull herself up enough to sit up, barely.

"What I want is for the muggles that are hiding to show themselves," I snapped. "Either you get them down or we blast them down. Which is it slave?"

For the first time she looked me directly in the eye, holding me gaze much longer than any slave should ever do. This time though there was no fear in her eyes, just hate. If I didn't need those muggles alive I would blast the ceiling apart myself, but as things stood I needed them alive to improve my chances of getting what I needed from them. Blasting the ceiling held to much risk at killing or harming them too much to be of use. It was better to convince the slave to do all the work, but also more frustrating.

"Pick, slave!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Pick, slave!" he snapped. The slave stared back into the eyes of the _thing_ she had only heard stories of. The trickster her mother spoke of, real and demanding she give up the most important thing in the world to her. He was just as her mother described. Pale grey eyes, almost white blond hair, pale skin, and deceiving. He was tall and slender, but not underweight like Onni, he was more than skin and bones. He was handsome but his voice was harsh when he spoke, like he had never felt anything but hate. Her mother was right. The trickster was real, and staring her down.

The slave knew her place, even to this _demon_ that stood before her, she was meant to always be obedient. That was a rule taught by her mother for as long as Onni could remember. But that didn't matter when he threatened the one thing she cared about. She racked her head for some way to keep the girls out of this mess she found herself in. Did she dare risk attacking these intruders? Or maybe make a run for it in hopes they followed her? Of course she knew both options were out of the question. It took a lot just to prop herself up enough to look around the room. After hitting the wall she was in no condition to put up any kind of fight. It was going to take a miracle to keep her girls safe from the monsters before her, Onni was certain of that.

_Make sure they're safe, _she thought to herself, _I just have to make sure they stay safe._

Onni knew what she had to do. It churned her stomach in the most painful way to admit it. She couldn't protect them in this state, a mass barely able to support its own weight. Her body ached from hitting the wall, it was painful to breathe, and it took most of her concentration to keep herself awake and breathing. She couldn't protect them from the monster before her. She had no doubt he would blast the ceiling if she didn't get up. It was difficult for the slave to willingly bring them into danger, but this seemed the best option.

"Ok," she whispered in defeat. With great effort, Onni managed to stand. She was unsteady and weak but willed herself to walk to the table beneath the hole in the ceiling. "Elizabeth, bring your sisters down." It pained the slave to knowingly bring the girls into danger.

The slave watched as the girls threw down the rope ladder then climb down one by one. First Elizabeth, followed by little Mady, with Ashlyn close behind. Onni kept all three girls close to her, taking some relief in knowing they were with her. At least for the time being. Mady, small Mady, hadn't stopped crying since touching the ground. The slave scooped the girl up in her arms and whispered in her ear, trying desperately to calm the child.

"Shh, Dayden, I am right here. Everything is going to be ok."

The slaves words seemed to calm the child a little but not enough to stop the tears that streamed down her face. Onni quickly inspected the other girls as she spoke. Elizabeth was also crying, to the slaves surprise, and staying very close to Onni. Ashlyn, on the other hand, did not cry. Fear was clear on her face and she clung to the slaves leg like it was the only thing in the world to touch, but not a single tear fell from her eyes. The slave did her best to comfort her girls, but the hungry look that now shined in the trickster's eyes told her things were only going to get worse.

_Gods of the old lands, watch and protect my children. Let no harm come to them, and guide them through this night, _the slave prayed to herself.

"Crabbe, Goyle."

Before Onni could react, two of the demons goons ripped her away from her girls. Mady was forcefully taken from her arms, Elizabeth and Ashlyn were dragged across the room by the back of their heads. The slave did her best to get to them, just close enough to touch them, to let them know she was right there. She never got passed the first step she took towards them. The trickster flicked his wand and once again flung the slave girl across the room.

The second time hurt more than the first. Possibly from lack of nutrition and sleep or from the first time she was thrown into a wall, Onni wasn't sure. But she knew without a doubt her body couldn't take another hit like that. This time the slave heard bones snap upon hitting the wall, no doubt a few ribs. The fall to the floor was just as painful, if not more, than hitting the wall. As she attempted to get up she felt warm liquid above her left eye coming from the spot she hit the floor with her head. She was barely able to lift herself a few inches off the floor before collapsing. It was just too much for her, she was too weak. The pain was too much for her body to take anymore.

With what little strength the slave had left she managed to shift her body to get a decent look at the girls. Mady screamed in the arms of larger of the two goons while the shorter and fatter one fought to keep a good grip on Elizabeth and Ashlyn, who were trying to get to Mady. It lifted the slave's heart to know they weren't giving up. Weakly, she smiled to herself as she saw little Mady bite the goon who held her. It was in that moment Onni knew if by some miracle she could get them through this night they would be ok. They could take care of each other. They were fighters.

The slave was too busy watching her girls, she didn't see the demon walk over to her. "Make them obey." He spat with a harsh nudge of his foot.

"Why me?" she croaked, "you're the wizard…Why force me to give them to you?"

Onni would have to admit, she had never spoke out of line like that, or at all for that matter. Her mother had taught her to never speak out of line. It scared her, yet sent a very brief wave of relief over her, to finally speak her mind. She wasn't sure why she felt the impulse to ignore everything her mother taught her to be a good slave, but it felt right. Maybe it was because she was so close to death. Or perhaps she had enough of being a slave. Whichever the reason, the salve knew without a doubt, it felt good.

The demon smirked at her with a crooked smile. Then it was a blur to her. She never saw him move. Suddenly she was lifted in the air. It was uncomfortable in the most annoying way. The pain was a weird pain because it was hardly enough to be called pain, but it was all over her body. It was like strings attached themselves to her and pulled her body in every direction. At first the feeling didn't bother her, after all it barely hurt. But that uncomfortable feeling of a slight pull of her body in every direction became annoying after a few seconds.

Once again, the slave looked into the eyes of the trickster. His eyes were cold and hard.

"Crucio," he whispered.

Blinding pain shot through Onni's body. It was a level of pain the slave had never thought existed. It felt as if every bone in her body was breaking and re-breaking a thousand times at once. Like her skin was being cut away by a dull knife. Like her body was on fire, like acid was being poured on her skin, like she was ripping from the inside out. She did her best to get away from the pain, but no matter what she did there was no escape. It was as if the more she struggled the worst the pain got, but she couldn't help it. At first she tried not to scream, Onni wasn't going to give him that satisfaction, but now her screams rang through the house. Tears began to all down her face I her throat began to burn, her screams grew weak, yet the pain only increased more.

After what felt like ages, the pain finally ceased and the demon released her. She fell to the floor like a lifeless doll. Her body shook uncontrollably as she fought to catch her breath. Onni knew her body couldn't take any more of this. She was going to die tonight. That was ok with her. The thought of the release that death offered was contorting to her. It would be easy, to just slip away. Away from the pain, from the torture, from the chains.

_Free_, she thought, _I could be free._

"Onni!"

The slave opened her eyes to see Elizabeth crouched down next to her. "Come on, Onni. Get up. You have to get up."

She was crying. The slave had to admit, she was a little surprised to see Elizabeth care so much. Slowly the slave became aware of the soft cries coming from the other girls. Fear was clearly displayed on all of their faces. It was in that moment Onni knew she couldn't just give up, no matter how appealing death appeared. Her girls needed to come first. Their safety needed to come first.

"Do as these men say," she whispered to Elizabeth.

"But-"

"Trust me, Dayden," the slave rasped. "No matter what happens you take care of your sisters. Do you understand?"

The girl hesitated but eventually nodded showing she understood. Wordlessly, the girl stood and made her way to the man that held Mady. "Let me hold her." The man looked at the trickster for approval before handing her to Elizabeth.

"How old are you?" the demon asked as he moved to stand between Onni and the girls.

"16, 10, and 4," Elizabeth answered. She did her best to sound brave but Onni could hear the fear on her voice.

"They aren't of age," Onni heard one of them say.

"That could be a good thing, Malfoy. A better chance they're virgins." It was the darker skinned goon that spoke this time. He had been particularly quiet until now.

"And wait 2 years at least to do the spell?" the fat one asked.

That's when it clicked. They need a virgin over 18. They weren't leaving empty handed either. They were taking someone with them tonight whether Onni could help it or not. "Are you virgins?" she heard the darker one ask. The slave knew the answer would be in the demons favor, meaning she was going to lose one of her girls. A sudden wave of adrenaline rushed through the slave's body. It was just enough to get herself standing. It took time and quite a lot of effort, but she managed it.

"Take the oldest," the demon said after a moment.

"No," Onni heard herself say.

She quickly had all of their attentions. None of them had been paying attention to her, no one saw her get up. Onni would admit, she was as shocked as they were that she was able to stand. Her body had stopped shaking and her breathe had slowed to a relatively slow pattern, but her throat still burned and her voice was weak.

The trickster smirked an evil smirk, "What? You haven't had enough, muggle?"

"You don't want to take them. Any of them."

"You are nothing but a slave. What do you know?" the trickster spat.

"I know you need someone who is over 18 and a virgin. Take me," Onni answered. Her voice was hoarse and weak.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Her chain."

It was little Mady who spoke this time. She had calmed down quite a bit since being in her sisters arms.

"What about her chain, little girl?" the demon asked as he stepped closer to her.

The girl stiffened up a bit and leaned into her sister for comfort, but kept eye contact. "Daddy says when the chain is on the right that she's still a girl," she answered shyly.

The demon stepped back, pondering the child's words. He took a long look at the girl then at the slave. His cold gray eyes focused on the slave for much longer than Onni would have liked. "Zibani, what do think?" he asked the dark skinned man.

"The child is telling the truth. We could take the slave or the girl," he answered.

Onni could see the demon was just a push away from making the right choice. "They can't cook. They can't clean. They'll be useless to you. From the moment you take them, they'll be too frightened to do anything but cry out for their family. Take me. I'm of more use to then they are. I won't fight. I'll do anything you ask," she pleaded.

He stared at her for what felt like several minutes. Then suddenly he moved toward her. He quickly had her pinned to the wall, using his body to keep her exactly where he wanted her. He had managed to position himself between her legs and trap both of her wrists with one hand against the wall above her head. A smirk played on his lips as he looked her over.

"Are you sure you want to make that promise, slave?" he whispered as he leaned into her.

"I won't run. I won't fight. Take me instead," she said not looking away from his eyes. She'd never felt so scared before, or more sure of her words. Onni would do anything to keep them out of the hands of the trickster and his goons. She could handle any pain or torture if that meant her girls were safe.

He leaned closer, she felt every inch of his body against hers, his breath on her neck. "There is no going back now," he whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

"There is no going back now," I whispered leaning closer to her.

It absolutely repulsed me to be even this intimate with a filthy muggle, but I was curious as to how far her promise went. I felt her small frame shake against mine, but she never took her eyes off mine. Not for a fraction of a second. She meant what she promised. I had to give her some credit, even as a muggle she was a very good slave. One this loyal was very hard to come by. Especially one willing to give up her life for the life of her masters. Or one that could take a hit like this one.

"Are you sure Zibani?"

"Yes, which arm the chain is on is how they tell the virgins from the rest. To them, virgin slaves are worth more. Particularly when it comes to breeding them in hopes creating their own wizards." Zibani answered.

"Ha! Stupid muggles," Crabby burst, causing the three to chuckle.

_Worthless idiots._

The slaves body shook once again bringing my full attention back to her. She still held eye contact with me but the fire that lit her eyes had grown dull. It was then I took a close look at the state her body was in. A small cut above her left eye was the only sign of blood, but I knew better than to think that was the only think to affect her. Even if she hadn't been thrown against the wall tonight, the Curciatus curse alone should have brought her to an inch of her life. Its well-known that the Curciatus curse is a mental curse, there is no actual physical damaged to the body. But very few wizards know that it could wear the body down if enough hate is channeled onto the curse. It won't kill but it will put the body very close to death, and I had channeled a lot of hate into the curse. The fact that she was still standing was a true example of her determination and loyalty.

_What a perfect gift she'll be,_ I thought to myself.

"Let the girls go," I ordered as I let go of the slave. It was amusing to watch the muggle slave stagger for a moment. Obviously not expecting the sudden lack of support.

There was a brief hesitation in Crabbe and Gayle but with a stern look, from yours truly, they followed orders like always. I watched as the middle child ran to her older sister, as if being closer to her will do anything.

"May I say goodbye?" I heard the slave ask softly.

She wasn't looking at me. Her eyes were fixed on them. The three girls had huddled together out of fear and desperation to feel safe. Absolutely pathetic muggles were. It was obvious they meant a great deal to her, and her to them. That was clear from the beginning. But it wasn't clear why they meant so much to each other. Or even how that relationship came to be. Slaves were meant to fear and respect their masters. It was considered very valuable if the slave was also loyal, but this one was different. She was loyal to her masters, yes, but it wasn't out of fear or respect. She didn't seem to fear them at all, for that matter.

_What did they mean to her? _I wondered as I quickly looked her over.

She had an arm wrapped around her rib cage, no doubt a broken rib or two when she hit the wall. Her free hand was against the wall in an attempt to support her weak body. Clothes ripped and covered in dirt, from the debris in the room, what I assume was once a nice braid had now almost completely fallen out. Her eyes though, her eyes were fixed on the three girls. Fixed on them as if they were the only thing her eyes could see.

_What did they mean to her?_

"Make it quick," I ordered. At this point in the night I simply wanted to go home and a crying muggle was not going to improve my night.

From the moment the words left my lips the slave was in motion. Instantly the muggle had all three in her arms, holding them close to her. The youngest didn't seem to understand what was about to happen, but the older two understood.

"Its going to be ok," she said, "but I have to leave now."

"No! Onni you can't." It was the oldest girl who spoke.

The slave turned back to look at me, once again in the eye. It was a stern look but there was something in her eyes that almost softened her features. It wasn't hate or anger, like I expected, but sadness and pity.

She glanced around the room quickly before turning back to the girls. "Yes, Dayden, I do".

_What did they mean to her?_


	5. Chapter 5

"Yes, Dayden, I do."

Fear was clear on their faces. The slave was sure it was on hers too, but did her best to hide it. Some part of her was angry with herself for being scared. For not being stronger for her girls. But then again, she had every right to be scared, and for so many reasons. Everything was about to change. She was being forced to leave her girls, forced to leave them alone and unprotected, forced to leave with the trickster, forced into a situation she knew she wasn't going to live through. Nothing would be the same. She pulled them close to her one last time. It was then she noticed the stuffed rabbit in her hand. The slave pulled back in slight amazement that she still held it in her hand after everything that happened. She handed it to little Mady, who was very eager to have it back in her arms.

"Now I need you to listen very carefully. Elizabeth, you need to take care of them now-"

"No! Onni, I can't! I can't handle this. We need you. You can't just leave us. I-I own you, you have to do as I say! You. Can't. Leave." Elizabeth panicked. When that didn't raise the reaction she wanted from the slave she turned to the trickster and his men. "Please! You can't take her! She's all we have! You can't take her from us!" Her pleads only granted a laugh from them, that threw her into a more desperate state. She turned back to the slave. "Please," she whimpered, tears streamed down her face.

"Shh," the slave soothed, "you're going to be ok. You don't need me anymore-"

"Yes we do." It was little Mady who spoke this time.

"Mommy and daddy don't care about us like you do, Onni. Who's going to take care of us if you leave?" Ashlyn innocently questioned the slave.

It took the slave a moment to collect herself before she answered. She wouldn't allow herself to break down in front of them. They didn't need to see that. Not tonight. Not when they needed her to be strong.

"The three of you will take care of each other just like you always have," she answered at last.

"My patience is growing thin, slave," the trickster snapped harshly.

His cold voice sent a shiver down her spine, bringing the reality of what was about to happen very clear to the slave. Still she knew he was right. She was lucky to say goodbye to the girls and she shouldn't take advantage of it.

"Elizabeth, you need to do this. You need to take care of your sisters. Do you understand?"

The girl simply nodded, not quite able to speak.

"You're going to take you're sisters back up the ladder and stay there until the Purge is over. Don't come down a second earlier. You go up there and you hide and you don't make a sound. When you hear the sirens, and only when you hear the sirens, do you come down. Call the police, tell them you're alone. You call them every hour until they come to get you, but don't stay down here. Hide upstairs until they come. Do you understand?" She wasn't stupid, this was a lot to put on a 16 year old girl, but it was their only hope of making it out of this night together.

"O-ok," Elizabeth responded shakily.

"Let's go, slave," the trickster demanded.

Knowing that a quick goodbye would be better in the end, Onni gave a quick hug and kiss to her girls before helping them climb back up the ladder.

_Gods of the old land, hear my plea. Watch and protect these girls. Keep them safe, keep them strong, and keep them together. I am no longer conceded for my safety or anyone else's, only those three girls, _she prayed as she watched them climb the ladder and disappear into the ceiling. _Gods of the old land, please, hear my plea. Keep them safe, keep them strong, keep them together._

Her heart sank a little as she watched them disappear into the ceiling, she wasn't looking forward to what was about to happen next. In that moment she decided it was better to just move forward without thinking about it. She took a deep breath to calm herself before turning back to the demon and his goons. That was all the cue they needed. The trickster simply nodded to his goons then walked out through the whole they had created. The tall darker one of the three goons grabbed her before following the others. The slave took a deep breath as she walked out onto the grass. The ground was damp and cold under her bare feet, but was a welcomed sensation to her body. She could almost feel the change from spring to summer in the ground, like a vibration running beneath her feet.

Suddenly that feeling was gone, and the thing that replaced it was an uncomfortable feeling. Like her body was being stretched and twisted in weird unnatural ways. Her bones felt like jelly and her skin felt more like rubber than skin. Then, as suddenly as it started, it was over. Her body went back to feeling normal, with the exception of feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Too weak to hold herself up she leaned heavily into the man who had grabbed her. He gave a very annoyed grunt but took her weight and followed the others. It took Onni a minute but she eventually realized there was cold stone under her feet instead of grass.

_How did we get here? _She asked herself.

She was too weak to really look around her but she could feel the emptiness this new place gave. They walked for some time towards a mansion that sat about a quarter of a mile from where they stood. Once they were inside, Onni soon gave up trying to keep track of where she was. It wasn't until she was guided down a flight of steep stairs that she realized where they were taking her. The dungeon. Not that she was surprised, where else are you going to keep your prisoner? Still, a part of her hoped for something better. It looked like most dungeons, stone walls and floors, chains bolted to the walls, poor lighting. They walked her to the far corner of the room where they cuffed a chain around her ankle.

"Thank you," Onni said quietly, keeping her back to the men behind her. None of them answered her. She knew she had caught them off guard. "For letting me say goodbye," she clarified, "thank you."

Their silence continued to answer her. She knew she didn't owe them her gratitude, they didn't even deserve it, but they let her say goodbye when it would have been much simpler to deny her of that chance. It was no small act, to the slave, that she was given the chance to hug her girls one last time. To her, it was only right they knew that she appreciated that simple gift. After a moment she heard them turn and walk away. It was when she was certain she was alone that she let herself fall apart. She allowed herself fall to the cold floor. The stone was slightly damp, but the slave hardly noticed as she cried quietly in the dark.

She cried for the loss of her girls, her home, her simple life, for the pain her body felt, and for the torture the trickster put her through. Tears stained her face as the slave let her emotions come out. After some time the tears stopped falling from Onni's eyes but the ache in her chest stayed heavy and painful. Her eyes stung and her body felt drained of all emotion, except for that ache in her chest. To her, that was the worst of the pain she felt. Eventually, the slave came to admit that lying on the floor, curled in on herself and broken, was not going to help. With some effort Onni managed to pick herself up enough to sit up and look around.

There were only two, very small, windows that sat high on the wall in front of her. Of course neither of them were close enough for her to look out of, but they gave just enough light to tell to give the slave an idea if it was day or night. There were also eight torches, two per wall, which gave a dim light to the room, just enough to see that she was alone. Onni also noticed a mattress that had been shoved into the corner next to her. It was small, thin, and dingy, but it was better than the cold damp stone. Onni slowly dragged herself to the mattress, trying not to move in ways that hurt; however it was very difficult considering everything she did made her body ache from head to toe. Still, after a while, she reached her goal and curled in on herself as she tried to comfort herself.

_You can get through this,_ she told herself. _It'll be Ok. You can get through this._

In truth, she wasn't sure if she could. So many simple things, she wasn't sure if she could do anymore. If she could keep her promise. If she could stay strong. If she could go to sleep and wake up in the morning. The thought of not waking up in the morning if she fell asleep scared her the most. Onni doubted the trickster would kill her while she slept, it was the shape her body was in that worried her. There wasn't much to the slave, she knew how skinny and thin she was, and after the beating her body had taken, even she was surprised she was still alive. It would be so simple for her body to just give up that Onni was almost scared to let herself sleep.

Slowly the slave began to wonder why the thought of slipping away scared her. She wasn't afraid to die, that much was clear. She had nothing to keep her here anymore. The girls were out of harm's way, as far as she knew, and they were the only reason she enjoyed her life at all. They were the thing that made her happy and gave her hope. With them gone, what did she have to look forward too? A life of fear? Waking up every day wondering if that was the day she was going to be killed? Or perhaps they would do worse things than kill her. Onni suspected they would kill her, the question was when and if they would torture her first. That would be the thing that scared her every morning, the question of what they were going to do to her before killing her. Suddenly the thought of dying sooner rather than later wasn't such a scary thought. If she slipped away, none of those things would be relevant anymore.

_So why not? I could just fall asleep. I could just let go._

The thought of letting go relaxed her. The idea of no longer feeling pain or fear was so welcoming the slave began to want it more than anything else she had wished for. And why wouldn't she want it? When it offered her everything, why wouldn't she yearn for it? No more pain, no more suffering, no more loss, and no more fear. For once she wouldn't need to be the strong one. She could allow herself to be weak and give in. No one needed her anymore, not like before. At last, she could be free.

"I could be free," she whispered.

To say those words gave the slave an overwhelming feeling of pure joy and happiness for a brief second. Saying it out loud gave her a kind of release she never had before. It was a feeling that made her body ache for more of it. Just that split second of freedom was so intoxicating that nothing else seemed to matter more. She started to wonder if that would be what it felt like to let go, to give in. If that feeling of being free was the last thing she would feel as she slipped away. Part of her desperately hoped it would be. All too quickly the pain that had settled in her throughout the night washed away that feeling of release. It was that moment the slave knew it was time. Time to give in and let go.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She welcomed the exhaustion she had been fighting. Her mind began to wonder over all the things she was giving up. The pain that shot through her when she moved. The cruel world she lived in as a slave and the way she was treated. Onni knew she wouldn't miss the harsh treatment that was given to her by people simply because she was a slave. Slowly her mind began to fall to sleep as it began to show her more things. Her freedom. Her freedom to make the choice to let go. Being free of the trickster and her promise to him. It was that thought that triggered her to think about why she had made that promise to begin with. Little, independent Mady, soft spoken, observant Ashlyn, and outgoing, stubborn Elizabeth. Images of them raced through her mind. All the times they made her laugh came back to the slave like they were happening all over again. For a few seconds she almost heard their voices.

The slave's eyes shot open. She had raised them, watched them grow, and protected them. They were the reason she fought so hard against the trickster, why she made a promise to him. She couldn't just give up, no matter how inviting the thought of it was. Onni was under no illusion that she would never see them again, but she didn't underestimate the anger of the man that held her prisoner either. She wouldn't put it past him to go back and kill her girls if he were to find her dead. Or worse, take one of them in her place. The thought of being able to slip away was still a welcoming idea, but it wasn't worth putting her girls in danger. Slowly the slave came to realize she could still protect them. Even in her poor condition and chained in a dungeon, she could protect them. She knew she couldn't protect them from much, being so far away from them, but at the very least she could keep the trickster from them. And that was enough for her.

With her decision made, the slave focused on anything she could to keep her mind off the intoxicating thought of slipping away. First she decided to at least attempt to clean herself up a little. There wasn't much she could do with nothing to wash the dirt and blood off her skin, but she managed to stand and brush off what she could from her clothes. She wasn't surprised that it didn't seem to help her appearance much. Through the nights events her clothes had become tattered and torn, causing them to look more like rags than clothes. Onni slowly combed her fingers through her hair, doing the best she could to get the most dirt and debris out while moving as little as possible. Eventually she decided there was no point in making a timely manner of it, who knew how long she was going to be stuck there.

The slave sat back down on the thin mattress and began to slowly work her way through her long hair. Through everything that had happened, her braid had completely fallen out and hung freely, falling to just past her ribs. After she got what she could out of her hair, Onni decided to work her way through all the knots as well. It was tedious and slow but it kept her busy and focused on something. Every once in awhile her mind would wonder what she could do once she was done, but never came up with a solution. She tried not to let her mind wander but eventually she had untangled every knot in her hair and was left with nothing left to do. Eventually she came to the decision to rip a bit of fabric from her skirt and use it to tie her hair back in a braid. But that too ultimately came to an end, and the slave was left with nothing to do.

With nothing to do, Onni sat and listened. She wasn't listening to anything in particular, just listening to any noise that was made. Now and then she would hear footsteps walk past the windows outside, she would count them until she couldn't hear them. It went the same way when she heard footsteps on the floor above her. Those were the more interesting to listen to. It seemed that quite a lot of people passed over that floor. Some were very light in their steps making them very difficult to hear, while others seemed to stomp their way across the floor. Occasionally, Onni could hear voices. They weren't loud enough for her to make out what they were saying, but enough that she could hear the buzz of voices. None the less Onni enjoyed the sound. It somehow comforted her to hear it. Slowly she began to imagine what they were saying.

That was when her mind started to drift back to her girls. She had been there when Elizabeth learned how to ride a bike, when she first discovered boys, when she got her first A on a test. She was there when Ashlyn and Mady had been born. Onni was the one to teach them how to walk and how to speak. The slave closed her eyes and let the memories rush over her. If she were to be grateful for anything now, it was that she got to spend the time with them that she did.

The sound of a door opening woke Onni. She wasn't sure when, but at some point she had fallen asleep and curled up on the mattress. She stood with her hands together and her head down, a manner most slaves did when someone of higher rank was coming. The footsteps that came down the stairs belonged to a woman in heels, who seemed very agitated from the way she walked.

"Who brought you here?" the woman demanded.

"I-I don't know his name," the slave replied.

"Did he have blond hair and grey eyes?"

"Yes, with three others."

To the slaves surprise the woman gave a heavy sigh in response. "There is no teaching that boy." The woman sighed again. "You may look up, girl, there is no need to be afraid of me."

Onni did as she was told. The woman that stood before her was a bit taller than her and a fair bit older, Onni guessed her to be in her forties. The bottom layers of her hair were white, while the top layers were black like Onni's. Her eyes were dark brown and they held anger and frustration in them. The slave wasn't sure if that was directed towards her or not, but she suspected it had something to do with the trickster.

The woman looked her over several times before speaking again. "You look like you took quite a beating. Tell me what happened to you when they took you." Her voice was softer this time when she spoke. Regardless, the slave wasn't sure what to say in response. She knew telling this woman may get her in trouble with man that kept her here, and that was not a situation she wanted to find herself in. "You can tell me, girl. You have my word, you will not be punished for telling the truth."

"I was trying to keep them away from my master's children. I was trying to protect them," the slave answered slowly. Onni wasn't sure how many details she could give. Even with the promise this woman made, she was still scared of what the trickster might do if she were to say too much to this woman.

"I see you fought hard," the woman said. She looked the slave over again, noticing the dried blood above the girl's left eye. "He didn't even bother to heal you before throwing you down here."

Onni knew it wasn't question but shook her head anyway. The woman sighed again and pulled out her wand. The slave's body went stiff at the sight of it. She wasn't sure what was going to happen next but she guessed it wasn't going to be anything pleasant. But to her relief the woman used it to release the chain on her ankle instead of inflicting pain. The slave was about to thank her when the woman grabbed her arm. Next thing Onni knew she was in a different room entirely.

This room was painted in a dark green with black wood floors. There was a large bed that sat against the wall in front of her with two doors on the wall to the left of it. There was only one window above the bed, but it was bigger and allowed more light that the two in the dungeon.

"Take off your clothes," the woman ordered as she walked to one of the other doors.

Onni tried to obey as fast as she could but her body hurt too much to move the way she would have liked. With some time she managed to remove her shirt and skirt along with taking her hair out the braid. Onni stood quietly as she watched the woman inspect her findings behind the door. The slave moved just a little to get a better look at was inside to find that it was small walk-in closet, lined with clothes.

"These should-" the woman dropped the clothes she had in her hands. "Oh my," she breathed, "What did he do to you?"

Onni inspected her body to find most of her skin was covered in black blue bruises. There was a lump on her left ribs, confirming that she had in fact broken a rib. Of course this was all added to her already dangerously thin body, which made everything look worse.

"That fool," the woman spat.

"It wasn't his fault," Onni heard herself say quickly, "I was the one who fought back."

"Do not make excuses for him. He knew better," the woman snapped. The harsh tone in the woman's voice made the slave flinch. The woman sighed once again and pulled out her wand. She whispered something the slave didn't quite hear as she waved it over the slave's body. Slowly, and very painfully, the slave felt her bones move back where they were supposed to be and felt some of the aches and pains fade away. "There. You'll still have some bruises but at least we don't have to worry about you dying on us," she said softer. "Here," she said opening the other door, "clean yourself up, take that thing off your arm and neck, and get dressed. I'll be back in a minute," she said she picked up the clothes she had dropped and put them on the bed.

"I can't"

"You can't what?" the woman asked as she turned around.

"I can't take this off," Onni answered pointing to the chain and collar that marked her as a slave. "I don't have the key."

The woman moved closer to her with her wand in hand. "Alohamora," she heard the woman whisper as she pointed to the slave's neck. Just like that, the collar fell to the floor. The slave wasn't sure what to do. So many times she had dreamed of a day that she would finally be free of it. Now that it had happened she wasn't sure what to do, or how she felt. The slave simply stared at it, wondering if any of this was real or simply a dream she had created.

"What is your name, girl," the woman asked bringing Onni back to reality.

"Tiponni, ma'am. My masters- I mean my former masters, they called me Onni," she answered, tearing her eyes away from the collar.

"That is an unusual name," the woman commented. "You may call me Narcissa, although I doubt we will see each other much after today. Now, go clean yourself up, I will be back shortly."

Onni nodded and turned toward the second door Narcissa had opened. Inside was a small bathroom, to Onni's delight. The room was in black and green, like the bedroom, making it feel even smaller, but Onni didn't really notice. Her mind was focused on the joy of being able to really get clean. And that hot water felt just as good as she thought it would. The feeling of washing off all the dirt lifted the slave's spirits. By the end of it she was almost happy. Regretfully Onni knew she had to leave the shower and get dressed, so she wrapped a towel around herself and went back to the clothes sitting on the bed. It was a pair of grey skinny jeans, which would have made Elizabeth green with envy, and a simple black shirt, along with a black bra and underwear. Happy to be given clean clothes Onni put them on and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Narcissa to return.

It was then she noticed the collar on the ground, untouched from where it fell.

_What happens now? _Onni wondered.

Just as the slave began to let her mind wander over how her life had changed, the door leading out of the bedroom swung forcefully open.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Thank you. For letting me say goodbye, thank you."_

I admit, once again, that muggle caught me off guard. Prisoners have said a lot of things upon seeing the dungeon, but none of them had thanked me before, for anything. I had to hand it to her, she was very surprising for a muggle slave. She could be rather entertaining, if only her stay was permanent.

"Draco, take me out tonight."

It was the whining voice of Pansy that broke me out of my train of thought. I wished she didn't whine so much, life would be much more tolerable then. Then again she was a simple creature. Give her a nice meal and a good shag and she was happy for a few days. But still, if only she didn't whine.

"No," I answered back, sipping my small glass of whiskey. Honestly I had no desire to spend an evening listening to her. Not after last night. We were successful in securing another piece of our little puzzle, but it was rather tiring and put me in no mood to deal with her alone for very long.

"But Draco you-"

"I said no. I will _not_ say it again."

For a spilt second I pondered whether I should have felt guilty for snapping at her, but I was quickly reminded she knew better than to whine. She also knew my mind was very rarely changed. She plopped down on the couch next to me with a pout on her face. Why must she be so dramatic? I had half a mind to let her pout the rest of the day, it wasn't going to affect me directly, but life with her in general was so much worse when she pouted. Then again, if it were up to me she wouldn't even be here.

I'm no fool. I knew there was no perfect pure-blood witch, but there were witches far less annoying than Pansy. She was good for a shag and she was always willing to shag, I'll give her that, but that was where her usefulness ended. If I had my way, at the very least I would have a more obedient witch by my side. Naturally if I could, I would also like her to be far less dramatic as well, but I desire obedience the most. Right on cue, I heard Pansy let out a deep, dramatic sigh. Honestly, why did she have to pout every time she didn't get her way?

I suppose Pansy was obedient in her own way, if you were stern enough with her. She certainly wasn't disobedient. It was the little things though. The pouting, the begging, the nagging, the whining. It was all annoying and rather frustrating at times. She made life so difficult if she didn't get her way that it was often easier to give her what she wanted if only to shut her up. I once ignored her antics for three days before finally giving her whatever it was that she wanted. I like to think I could have gone longer if her antics didn't affect the house elves and the occasional guest. She was rather impressive that way, I suppose.

"I…I just thought you would want to celebrate," she said quietly.

I did want to celebrate, but not tonight. And not with her. I would much rather have a few drinks with the boys than an evening at dinner with her.

"Another night," I responded, taking another sip. It had already occurred to me that it was too early to have a drink. Whether or not I cared was another matter.

She simply smiled as she leaned over to kiss my cheek. Luckily pacifying her was a simple task, as was distracting her. Thinking I was as pleased as she was, she curled up next to me leaning her head on my shoulder. We sat like that for some time, in silence shockingly enough. I suppose it was nice, in a way. Until my mother come through the door.

I could hear her footsteps coming down the hall before she burst through the door to the study. I knew she must have been upset the way she stormed down the hallway. It never crossed my mind that her anger would be directed at me.

"What were you thinking? Have you gone mad?" she hadn't raised her voice. Then again she didn't need to, her tone was cold as ice.

"What are you talking about mother?"

I had barely reacted to her; however Pansy acted as if her life was being threatened. Upon Narcissa entering the room, Pansy immediately shot up and quickly made her way to stand behind the couch. That was yet another annoying quality of Pansy, she was as cowardly as they come.

"The muggle slave you beat and threw in the dungeon," she snapped.

"Are we keeping our prisoners somewhere else I don't know about?" It would be a lie if I said I wasn't the slightest bit confused. My mother had never objected to how our family treated prisoners or muggles. It made no logical sense for her to object to it now.

"You left her to die."

"What on earth are you-"

"You beat her, threw her in the dungeon, and didn't bother to heal her or feed her," her voice grew colder.

"I gave orders to one of the house elves to feed her later today. She will be fine," I said slightly irritated. The next thing I heard was her hand making contact with my face. Soon after, I felt the sting on my cheek. Shock rang through my body. She had never laid a hand on me before. The shock quickly turned to anger and rage. "What-"

"Did you look at her?"

"Of course I bloody looked her," I snapped as I stood. "How do you think I managed to get her here if I didn't look at her?"

"Then you saw how small she is? How little there is to her? And you beat her anyway. You stupid boy. She is no good to us dea-"

"No one forced her to fight back," I snapped back, cutting her off. This was utterly pointless. I knew what was needed, what had to be done, she knew that as well. If she didn't stick her nose where it didn't belong this wouldn't have been an issue. I knew the muggle needed to be kept alive, otherwise it wouldn't have been so damn difficult to acquire her. "She will stay in the dungeon until it's time for her to be of use. The dungeon will serve her purpose to stay alive just fine," I said more calmly as I sat.

My mother's glare grew even colder, but I noticed something slightly out of place. A smirk played at the edge of her mouth. It was so small I almost didn't see it. "No. She will stay in the bedroom at the end of the second floor. The room at the top of the back stairs, just next to the library."

"But..that's my room."

It was Pansy's whiney voice that spoke this time.

"_Was_ your room. I have moved your things to the room just west of the main stairs," my mother answered.

"That _closet_ you pass off as a room to guests?"

It was much harder than it should have been to hide my smile as I sipped my drink. Pansy wasn't exactly wrong. That particular room was one of the small guest rooms. It had no windows and no private bathroom. If I was being honest it really didn't have much closet either. It really shouldn't have been considered a guest room, which is exactly why we housed guest we didn't like in that room. That was another reason for my smile.

Narcissa was the only person to dislike Pansy more than myself. On paper, she understood the arrangement my father had set up, but didn't like it. I didn't blame her. I didn't like it either. But like her, on paper I understood it. Pansy and I came from two pureblood lines in the wizarding world. Being married to anything less would be unthinkable, even though pureblood wizards are hard to come by these days. It made sense, logically, to marry, but I felt nothing for Pansy. And my mother was about as thrilled with it as I was. Pansy on the other hand couldn't be happier. She had crush on me since our first meeting in school. After that it was nearly impossible to escape her completely. Now I'm forced to marry her. My only grace in the whole miserable deal, is the date. Narcissa, being the brilliant woman she is, suggested we marry after we complete our little mission, as way to celebrate.

"You were never meant to have that room in the first place. And if you are going to act like an ungrateful child, then you can go back to your family's estate until the wedding." Narcissa managed to put the right amount of hostility and distaste in her words while still sounding calm and collected.

Pansy replied by apparating out of the room; although, I'm sure she gave Narcissa a quick pout before doing so. We all knew being forced to leave until the marriage was the last thing she wanted, and Narcissa often held that over Pansy's head. I often enjoyed it when that card was played. It was the quickest, most effective way, to put Pansy in her place.

"Well done, mother," I commented, taking another sip. To my disappointment my glass was empty when I put it to my lips. With half a mind to fill it again, I put the empty glass on the end table next to me. It was always an unfortunate thing when the whiskey was gone.

"That muggle cannot stay in that room all day. She'll go mad and be no use of us," Narcissa said with a sigh. She relaxed into a chair next to the couch, looking comfortable and at peace. I knew that was a mask. Since this whole this thing started she had been very tense and uneasy at every decision made. She wanted success, like the rest of us did, but she wasn't sure it was a good idea to re-awaking the power we were after.

"What are you talking about, mother?"

"Leaving her in that room all day, day after day, with little contact with anyone else. It's not good for her," she said looking deep in thought.

"Put her back in the dungeon then. We're always taking prisoners in and out of there."

She shook her head slowly. "After seeing those same prisoners going mad, do you really think it would be any better there? No. Just as dangerous to leave her down there."

Once again I was confused as to where this conversation was going. Rarely was my mother this cryptic and vague. Yet she spoke as if I knew exactly what she meant.

"What are you suggesting? We walk her once a day like a dog?" The image brought a small smile to my lips as I spoke.

"In a way."

Her response was immediate causing my smile to disappear. One look at her and I knew I was not going to be happy with the words that came out of her mouth next. When she had something clever no one else knew she would have a certain look to her. It was barely noticeable in any one specific part of her, but it was there. It was a small slight change in the air, the way she spoke, the way she moved her body, a certain light in her eyes. It was there now.

"I want her to follow you through your daily routine. Not the meetings with the Death Eaters of course, but the rest of your day. Like a shadow-"

"You want me to befriend a muggle?"

"I want you to keep a close eye on her. This is too important to leave her with someone else. And there is no telling how long it will take to gather the rest of what we need, leaving her in that room will drive her mad. She doesn't have to be with you all day, just for a few hours just enough to keep her mind awake."

She had become slightly more animated as she talked. This wasn't something that had popped into her head one afternoon. No, this was something she had given a lot of thought on. And she was right. I hated to admit it, even to myself. Keeping that muggle locked up short term didn't carry much risk; however gathering the rest of what was needed to finish the spell could take a year, or longer if we were unlucky enough. Leaving her that long did carry a lot of risk. She was no use dead or wanting to be dead.

Putting Crabbe or Goyle in charge of was asking for something to go wrong. Zibani could be trusted enough, if only he could keep it in his pants. Aside from myself, Narcissa was the only person that could be trusted to keep an eye on her. But even she was out of the question. She and my father spent most of their time now at our vacation home. She wasn't here often enough to effectively keep an eye on her.

"Fine," I grumbled out.

"You'll thank me for this. When she's still usable at the end of all of this. You'll thank me." She smiled briefly before standing and leaving.

I sighed heavily before standing and apparating just outside of the muggles door. I was prepared, before arriving, that Pansy was likely to be there already. In Pansy's simple mind it was the muggle's fault that she was now forced into, argumentatively, the worst room in the manor. For her, that was cause for revenge, and that was Pansy's specialty. Next to annoying anyone within seconds, of course. I was prepared to walk in seeing Pansy hassling the muggle a bit. I was not prepared to see the muggle cornered as spelled objects fly at her repeatedly as Pansy sat on the bed, giggling like a child.

To say I was angry wouldn't be clear enough. I was enraged was closer to it. She knew better than this. She knew better than to mess with anything involving the spell, unless specifically asked. "Parkinson," I barked," What do you think you're doing?"

With a squeak, she jumped off the bed, and with her focus on me the objects she had spelled had dropped to the floor immediately. "I was teaching that _muggle_ to stay in her place," she answered. She looked me straight in the eye as she spoke, like this was an everyday occurrence. Her casualty to it all fueled my rage.

"She is not something for you to play with! Stay away from her. Last thing we need is for you to screw it up now," I snapped harshly.

"But I was-"

"Go near her again, and I will personally throw you out of this manor," I snapped as I stepped closer.

_Stupid bitch,_ I thought.

We had one shot at this spell. One. There was no second try. No time to make any mistakes. This had to go perfectly or it wasn't going to work. Tears had started to form in Pansy's eyes. They were fake. She felt no remorse or guilt about what she did, only that she got caught. "Get out." With out a word, she apporated out of the room. There was no doubt she would pout about this for the next week but she had gone too far.

Movement caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It was the muggle slave trying to get up. After a few failed tries to stand she crawled over to the dresser to pull herself up. It took me longer than it should have to understand why she didn't simply stand up. She was too week to hold her own body weight without some support. It was then I understood why my mother had been so upset. With clothes that fit her properly it was clear how little there was to her. Her bones stuck out everywhere. There really wasn't any fat or muscle to her.

_How did I miss that?_

It was clear now why Narcissa had been upset. After the beating that muggle took, there was no logical reason why she was still alive. There was nothing to her. Just bone under copper skin. I'll admit, part of me was happy she would need a few days of rest to gain weight and recover before she became my shadow.

It was when she started to make her way to the bathroom that I noticed a few scrapes and scratches that had started to bleed. "Here," I said stopping her as I pulled out my wand.

She visibly stiffened. "No. Please, no." She looked panicked as she tried to back away. I suppose it was understandable, the only real experience she had with magic in the last 24 hours involved some sort of pain. "They're just scratches. Nothing more," she said after a moment.

It would be quicker to just heal her, but I was in no mood to fight with her about it. If she wanted to let them heal slowly, painfully, then so be it. It made no difference to me wither way. I let her go and watched as she slowly made to the bathroom.

"How often were you fed?" I asked she cleaned herself up.

"Once a day. Sometimes more if they felt I had been good, but that rarely happened," she answered quietly.

"You're too thin to be fed once a day," I noted.

"I watched three girls and kept the house. One meal a day wasn't enough for that much activity," she said. "I'm sorry", she added as she came out of the bathroom, "I shouldn't speak about my masters like that-," she shook her head. "Former masters," she corrected. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," I snapped. If I were being truthful, her brief mistake in wording hadn't upset me. I barely noticed her wording until she corrected herself. For a muggle slave, she was incredibly well behaved and knew her place well.

She nodded and bowed her head like every slave was taught to do. "Listen carefully slave," I said after a moment, "you are not to leave this room unless it is with me. Under no circumstances will you leave this room for anyone else or any other reason. Is that understood?" I waited for her to nod before I continued. "For now you need to gain some weight and rest-"

"No! Please, put me to work. I-," she began to interrupt.

"Silence," I hissed. She flinched and bowed her head again. "You need more weight on you before you can be of any use. A house elf will bring you your meals for now," I continued. "Understood?" She nodded quickly, still keeping her head low. With that out of the way I turned to leave. I was almost to the door when she spoke.

"Sir? You haven't told me how you would like me to address you."

I smiled. This is one was very well taught. "Master Malfoy," I answered, "or sir will do."


End file.
